Self-opening and closing cap for collapsible tubes



G. LATEUR 2,101,909

SELF OPENING AND CLOSING CAP FOR COLLAPSIBLE TUBES Dec. 14, 1937.

Filed Nov. 18, 1935 m m 5 mm m wav B NT W 1 1 L y W T 3 m 6 W 7 Patented Dec. 14, 1937 ATENT OFFICE SELF-OPENING AND CLOSING CAP FOR COLLAPSIBLE TUBES Gaston L. Lateur, San Francisco, Calif. Application November 18, 1935, Serial No. 50,417

9 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in selfopening and closing caps for collapsible tubes, and it consists of the combinations, constructions and arrangements hereinafter described and claimed.

An object of my invention is to provide an improvement over the form of the device shown in my co-pending application, Serial No. 38,834 filed August 31, 1935. In the co-pending application I show a cap provided with a tongue and a spring-pressed piston for yieldingly holding the tongue in closed position to cover an outlet opening in the cap. When the tube issqueezed the material therein will force the piston away from the opening in the end of the cap and the piston in turn will carry the tongue away from the opening with the result that the material will be forced through the opening. When the pressure on the tube is released the spring-pressed piston exerts sufiicient force to again cause the tongue to close the opening.

In the present invention the spring-pressed piston instead of moving away from'the open end of the cap when the tube is squeezed, will move toward this end. In other words, the movement is reversed and the piston carries an outlet mouth and when the piston is moved toward the end of the cap by the pressure of the material,

this mouth will project beyond the opening in the cap and will permit the material to flow out from the device. The spring-pressed piston will exert sufficient force to retract the mouth and close the opening in'the cap when the pressure on the tube is released.

I further show a novel locking feature for positively preventing the tube from being accidentally opened from the time the tube leaves the manufacturervto the time the device is actually purchased. The mouth of the device is so arranged to cause the material to be ejected in a ribbonlike form, and this will aid the spreading of the material on a tooth brush should the device contain tooth paste.

The device is extremely simple in construction and. is durable and efiicient for the purpose intended.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the-following specification, and the novel features of the device will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing forming a part of this application, in which Figure 1 is a vertical section through the device shown operatively applied to a collapsible tube;

Figure 2 is a view somewhat similar to Figure 1, but shows the mouth of the device in open position;

Figure 3 is an isometric view of the mouth and piston;

Figure 4 is a sectional View of a slightly modified form of the invention; and

Figure 5 shows a locking device used in connection with the form of the device shown in Figure 4.

In carrying out my invention I make use of a collapsible tube indicated generally at I, this tube having the customary exteriorly threaded neck portion 2. A cap 3 is threaded upon the neck 2 and has a V-shaped or conical-shaped top 4 provided with an inwardly extending cylindrical portion 5. The cap has an opening 6 therein which is equal to substantially one-half the cross sectional area of the cylindrical portion 5.

In Figure 3 I show what I term a mouth piece 7 formed integral with a cylinder 8, and this cylinder is in turn integral with a piston 9. The piston carries a flange 10. that is designed to ride on the inner surface H of the cap 3, see Figure 1. If desired, the outer periphery of the flange) may be provided with. a packing ring, not shown, to prevent any of the tube contents from passing between the flange and the wall I l.

The mouth piece and piston are inserted in the cap 3 and the cylinder or sleeve 8 is slidably received in the cylindrical portion 5. Figure 3 clearly shows the mouth 1 being formed by cutting downwardly from the closed top of the sleeve 8 for providing an edge l2 that lies in a plane that extends diametrically across the sleeve 8. The sleeve is also cut at 93 and this cut extends at right angles to the edge l2.

Before the sleeve 8 is inserted in the cylindrical portion 5 acoiled spring I4 is mounted thereon andwhen the device is mounted in the cap the spring will bear against the lower edge I5 of the cylindrical portion 5, and will also bear on the upper surface 16 of the piston 9. The spring [4 will yieldingly hold the piston in a position where the flange III will abut the top of the neck 2. When the piston is in this position the inclined wall ll of the mouth I will cooperate with the conical end 4 of the cap, and. will close the opening 6.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, the operation thereof maybe readily understood.

In operating the device, the tube l is squeezed and this will force the material in the tube up against the interior of the piston l0, and the material will also be forced into the sleeve 8. Continued pressure on the tube I will cause the material to exert sufiicient force against the surface [8 of the piston to move the piston upwardly and collapse the spring M. The cylindrical portion 5 has a wall I!) which will limit further outward movement of the mouth 1 when the edge 43 abuts this wall, see Figure 2. However, when the edge [3 does abut the wall IS the mouth I projects.

a suiiicient distance beyond the opening 6 to permit a ribbon-like form of material to be forced from the tube and through the mouth. The operator in spreading the material on a tooth brush for example holds the tube 1 in a position to cause the inclined surface I! to ride over the top of the bristles. A continuous pressure on the tube l during this movement will cause a uniform flow of material to issue from the mouth I and the ribbon form will lie flat on the brush. When the pressure is relieved on the tube l, the spring M will instantly move the piston and close the mouth I. The device is now ready for further use.

I provide means for locking the mouth and piston against movement during the transportation of the device from the manufacturer to the purchaser. In Figure 1 I show a wire 20 passing through an opening 2| in the cap 3 and abutting the surface l3. This wire is provided with a 'hand grip portion 22, and then the wire extends along the cylindrical wall of the cap 3. A groove 23 is formed in the top of the cylindrical portion of the cap, and the wire extends along this groove,

illustrated in Figure 1.

and is prevented from swinging around the cap. The top of the wire 24 is bent over the pointed end of the cap 3 and engages with the outer edge of the inclined wall 11. It will therefore be seen that the wire 20 engages with the piston 9 and also with the mouth I to lock the tube against movement in the cap. The operator before using the device removes the wire by grasping the hand grip portion 22. The device will now function in the manner indicated.

In Figures 4 and 5 I show a modified form of the invention. The flange I0 is done away with in this form of the device and the cylindrical portion or sleeve 8 has its lower end provided with a piston 25. The cap 26 in this form of the device is integral with the tube 27 and a depression 28 is formed in the wall of the cap and causes a projection 29 to extend inwardly from the inner wall of the cap. This projection limits the downward movement of the piston 25. The inner surface of the inclined wall I! of the mouth I is provided With stepped portions 30 instead of with the inclined surface as shown in the form of the device The other parts of the device are similar to the parts shown in Figure 1, and therefore like reference numerals will be applied.

The operation of this form of the device is similar to the operation of the form shown in Figure 1. The material in the tube 21 will press against the under surface of the piston and will force the piston upwardly against the spring 14. This movement will be aided by some of the material striking the stepped portions and since these portions extend parallel with the bottom of the piston 25 the material will have a tendency to move the mouth I in a direction paralleling the axis of the tube. In the form. of the device shown in Figure 1 the inclined inner surface of the wall I! will cause the material forced against the surface to tend to move the mouth I at a slight angle with respect to the tube axis.

The form of thedevice shown in Figure 4 will therefore no doubt operate more readily than that shown in Figurel.

The locking means in this form of the device consists of a wire 3| formed into a spring ring, see Figure 5. This wire has an inwardly extending end 32 and a hand gripping portion 33. The end 32 is inserted through an opening 34 in the cap wall 26 and this end passes through a registering opening 35 in the piston 25. The circular portion of the wire surrounds the neck of the cap and the hand grip portion 33 projects a sufficient distance away from the outer wall of the cap to permit a ready grasping of the wire.

,It will be seen from this construction that the piston is locked against movement by the wire, and therefore the'mouth 1 cannot accidentally ,openuntil the wire is removed. The wire can be of my invention, it should be understood that.

various changes or modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claims Without departing from the spirit of the invention.

It is obvious that the top of the cap can be also V-shaped and partially conical if desired.

I claim:

1. In a device of the type described, a cap for a collapsible tube, said cap having a substantially conicaleshaped end with an opening extending from the apex and being entirely disposed on one side of a diametrical line extending across the end, and a hollow mouth piece slidable in the cap and being movable through the opening when expelling the tube contents, said mouth piece having an end that will close the opening and lie flush with the remaining surface of the cap when the cap is in closed position.

2. In a device of the type described, a cap for a collapsible tube and having a centrally disposed cylinder, said cap having an opening communicating with only a portion of the cylinder, the portion of the cap closing the other part of the cylinder acting as a stop, a mouth piece slidable in the cylinder and having a. portion slidable through the opening, said stop limiting the movement of the mouth piece into open position.

3. In combination, a cap having an opening therein spaced toone side of the center, a piston slidable in the cap and carrying a mouth piece slidable through the opening, said mouth piece carrying an abutment designed to contact with the cap for limiting the movement of the mouth piece into open position.

4. In combination, a collapsible tube, a cap closing the outlet end of the tube and having an outlet opening, a piston slidable in the cap, a mouth piece carried by the piston and being slidable in the opening and normally closing it, and means for locking said piston against movement for seal ing the tube contents against leakage, said means comprising a wire extending through the wall'of the cap and engaging with the piston, said wire also engaging with the end ofthemouth for holding it in closed position.

5. In combination, a collapsible tube, a cap closing the outlet end of the tube and having. an outlet opening, a hollow piston slidable in the cap, a hollow mouth piece communicating with the hollow piston and being slidable in the cap opening, said mouth piece being slidable through the cap opening when discharging the tube contents, and spring means for retracting the piston for yieldingly holding the mouth piece in a position where it will close the cap opening, said piston moving against the pressure of the spring means when the tube is squeezed and projecting the mouth piece through the cap opening for expelling the tube contents, said spring means returning the mouth piece to closed position when the pressure on the tube is released.

6. In a device of the type described, a cap having a conical-shaped end with an inwardly extending cylindrical portion carried by the end, said cap having an opening communicating with the cylindrical portion and of less area than the cross sectional area of the cylindrical portion, a hollow piston slidable in the cap, a sleeve communicating with the hollow piston and being slidable in the cylindrical portion, said sleeve having a mouth piece slidable in the cap opening, said mouth piece having an inclined wall acting as a closure for the cap opening when the mouth piece is in closed position, and spring means for yieldingly moving the piston for holding the mouth piece closed.

'7. In combination, a cap having a conicalshaped end and a cylindrical portion extending inwardly from the closed end, a hollow piston slidable in the cap, a sleeve carried by the piston and being slidable in the cylindrical portion, said cap having an opening communicating with the cylindrical portion but being of less area than the cross sectional area of the latter, the outer end of the sleeve being formed into a mouth piece and being slidable in the cap opening, the mouth piece having an inclined outer surface normally closing the cap opening and lying flush with the conical portion of the cap, said sleeve having a shoulder abutting the inner surface of the cap when the piston is moved into operative position,

said piston when in this position, projecting the mouth piece beyond the cap opening.

8. In combination, a cap having aconicalshaped end and a cylindrical portion extending inwardly from the closed end, a hollow piston slidable in the cap, a sleeve carried by the piston and being slidable in the cylindrical portion, said cap having an opening communicating with the cylindrical portion but being of less area than the cross sectional area of the latter, the outer end of the sleeve being formed into a mouth piece and being slidable in the cap opening, the mouth piece having an inclined outer surface normally closing the cap opening and lying flush with the conical portion of the cap, said sleeve having a shoulder abutting the inner surface of the cap when the piston is moved into operative position, said piston when in this position projecting the mouth piece beyond the cap opening, a portion of the inner surface of the mouth piece being stepped.

9. In combination, a cap having a conicalshaped end and a cylindrical portion extending inwardly from the closed end, a hollow piston slidable in the cap, a sleeve carried by the piston and being slidable in the cylindrical portion, said cap having an opening communicating with the cylindrical porton but being of less area than the cross sectional area of the latter, the outer end of the sleeve being formed into a mouth piece and being slidable in the cap opening, the mouth piece having an inclined outer surface normally closing the cap opening and lying flush with the conical portion of the cap, said sleeve having a shoulder abutting the inner surface of the cap when the piston is moved into operative position, said piston when in this position projecting the mouth piece beyond the cap opening, and a split wire ring extending around the cap and having an end extending through the cap wall and engaging with the piston to hold it against moving.

GASTON L. LATEUR. 

